Half to milo baker



.and at the same time shoot the threader-rod A l whichma wirr aims

Artnr trice..

F ?.EDRICK A. POOLER, OF LOS ANGELES., CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO MILO BAKER, OF SAME PLACE.

eoNDUlT-.Tl-lumnm.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,531, dated April 4, 1899.

Application filed August 1511898.

To all whom it' may concern,.-

Beit known that I, FREDRICK A. POOLER,re siding at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented' a new and Improved Oonduit-Threader, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is in the nature of improved means for drawing wire rods, cables, or other analogous wire connection, through a conduit or duct; and it primarily has for its object to provide a mechanism for the'purposes stated of a very simple and economical construction, which can be easily manipulated and which will effectively serve for its intended purposes.

In its general features this invention embodies a novel form of creeper or threaderrod having gripper devices for preventing back movement, a crawler-block movable-on the rod and having gripper devices for preventing back movement, and a pair of operating cords or ropes adapted,when alternately drawn backward, to lirst cause the crawlerblock to travel toward the head of the threaderrod and then pull the said crawler-block into a gripped engagement with the conduit-wall forward, such movement being continued step by step until the head of the rod projects beyond the forward end of the conduit-section with which access may be had.

In its novel features this invention comprehends certain peculiar combinations and arrangement of parts, such as will be rst described in detail and then be specically pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the manner of using myimprovement. `Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the conduit, the threader being shown in side elevation and the cord member for pulling the rod" forward being shown as drawn. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the other cord being shown pulled t move -the crawler-block forward. Fig. 4 is a perspective'view of the threader detached. Figs. 5 and G are cross-sections on the lines 5 5 and G 6 of Fig. 4.. Fig. '.7 is a longitudinal section.

In its practical construction my invention Serial No. 688,665. (No model.)

comprises a tubular threading-rod l, through which the end of the cable or feed-wire is passed, the forward end of which is preferably secured to a conical cap 2, detachably held 0n the front end of the rod l.

3 indicates a grip-block fixedly secured to the rod at or nearits front end and having a series of backward radially projecting grippers et, pivotally held in grooves 3 and spring-pressed to their normal or grip position by the [iat spring-plates 5, secured to the block 3, as shown. To hold the front end of the rod centrally of the conduit as it passes therethrough, such block 3 has yielding impact members 6, adapted to engage the sides of the conduit, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At the rear end the rod'l is also pron vided with a fixedly-held block 7, provided with spring-grippers 8 to prevent back movement.

9 indicates what I term the crawler. This member is slidable on the rod l between its iixedly-held grip-blocks and is adapted to operate alternately as a crawler and as a lock-block. The crawler 9 consists of a tubular block having spring-actuated grippers l0 to engage the conduit and hold the crawler from back movement. All of the grip members of the several blocks referred to are constructed alike,and the said grips are so formed as to act as wedges to hold their respective block members from back thrust in the tube or conduit.

In connection with the threader-rod and the several blocks thereon I employ a simple means for imparting a creeper er crawling action of the entire device forwardly through the conduit, said means being readily manipulated from the rear or entrant end of the conduit. For this purpose two cords or ropes l2 13 are provided, one of which, l2, is made fast to the block 7 passes forward over a pulley 14., journaled in the rear end of the crawler 9, and then passes through a slot l, extending longitudinally of the rod and through such rod out at the rear end, as at X. The other cord, 13, is made fast to the front end of the crawler 9, passes forward and over the pulley l5, journaled on the rear end of the front block 3, and then into the rod l and out the entrant end of such rod, as indi- IOC) 2 eaasi cated by Y, the ends X Y of the two ropes or cords being arranged to be conveniently manipulated by thev operator, as indicatedin Fig.1.

The manner in which my conduit-threader is operated is best explained as follows: The rope Y is pulled on until the crawler 9 is moved up to the front block 3, after which the front block, together with the crawler, is inserted in the entrant end of the conduit until the gripper' members of the crawler engage with the side walls of such conduit. The

operator then pulls upon the cord X, which pulls upon the crawler 9 and causes its grippers to tightly wedge against the side of the conduit, and thereby lock the crawler 9 from back movement, holding it, as it were, as a fixed support for the rod l, which as soon as the block 9 is thus locked within the conduit `is pulled forward' by reason of the end of the cord or rope X being secured to the rear block 7, .the said rod moving forward within the tube until its rear block '7 engages the crawler 9. The operator then again pulls upon the cord'Y', which, being secured to the front block 3, -serves to pull the rod l and its blocks 3 and 7 backward and causes the grippers of such blocks to engage the walls of the conduit and lock the said rod and blocks from further backward movement. The same pull action on the cord Y, by reason of such cord being secured to the front end of the crawler, will slide such crawler forward until it again engages the front block 3, after which the cord X is again pulled upon, and the operation thus described repeated until the entire threader device has been moved step by step until its forward end projects through the conduit to such point where access can 4o be had to the front end o f the threader, when by pulling out the cap the wire rod, cable, or other line connection can be readily handled.

While my improvement is especially adapted for wire-drawing, it is obvious that the crawler and operating means therefor may also be used for pole-climbing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein described conduit threader, comprisingahollow rod provided at its front end with a detachable conical cap and a fixed block and at its rear end with a flxe'd block, the said rod having a longitudinal slot extending between said fixed blocks, a crawler block slidable on said rod between the fixed blocks, all the three above-mentioned blocks having springpressed grippers whereby to prevent a backward movement of any block, two pulleys, one of which is mounted in a slot in the rear of the forward fixed block and the other being mounted in a slot in the rear end of the crawler-block and fitted -to travel inthe longitudinal slot in the rod, both pulleys having their peripheries extending within said rod, and drawing-cords, one of which has one end secured to the front of the crawler-block, is passed over the pulley in the forward fixed block into the rod and out the rear end of the same, and the other of which has an end secured to the front end of the rear fixed block, is passed over the pulley in the crawler-block and into the rod and out the rear end of the same, as and for the purpose set forth.

FREDRICK A. POOLER. 

